Russian Revolution: Core Causes and Power Struggles

Russian Revolution Causes

The Army

The army consisted of a huge number of conscripts who were obligated to fight. Soldiers were badly led, leading to deep discontent by 1917.

Peasants and Workers

• The huge casualty figures left many widows and orphans needing state war pensions.
• In 1916, local government reported that the war had killed 13% of the population.
• The government could not be relied upon to ensure the supply of food.

The Middle Classes

The middle classes were unhappy with the Tsar by the end of 1916, although they did not suffer as much as the peasants. There was also a shortage of raw materials for industries.

Tsarina and Rasputin

• The Tsarina rearranged some political placements, which most people disagreed with.
• Both the Tsarina and Rasputin had bad reputations.
• The Tsarina was German, and Rasputin was rumored to be manipulating her.

The Aristocracy

• In 1916, the council of the nobility called for the Tsar to step down.
• The conscription of 13 million peasants meant landlords lacked workers for their estates.
• Ministers were dismissed and subsequently replaced.

Dual Power

Provisional Government

This government was formed by the middle class. Its challenges included:

• Distributing land to peasants.
• Deciding whether to stay in the war or make peace.
• How to feed the poor workers in the city.

Petrograd Soviet

Formed by workers and soviets, they could control the city. It was dominated by socialist revolutionaries who supported the idea of a new constitution if they won the elections. The Soviet decided to work with the Provisional Government in 1917.

Lenin & The Bolsheviks

Lenin was born in 1870 into a Russian family and was exiled in Europe. As the leader of the Bolsheviks, he proposed:

• Land for peasants.
• Banks to the state.
• He condemned Russia’s involvement in the war.

The March 1917 Revolution

• February 22 (March 8): Strikes and protests began in Petrograd.
• February 23 (March 9): Thousands of workers and soldiers joined the protests.
• February 25 (March 11): Troops joined the protesters.
• February 26 (March 12): The Tsar ordered the Duma to dissolve, but it refused and formed a provisional government.
• March 2 (March 15): The Tsar abdicated.

Consequences

• End of the Tsarist autocracy.
• Establishment of a provisional government.
• Beginning of a new era in Russian history.